Salty spray may help cystic fibrosis sufferers

A concentrated salt water spray may be able to provide some relief to people with cystic fibrosis, scientists have found.

The Australian team from the University of Sydney found the treatment, which involves inhaling a salty aerosol solution, could lubricate the airways of sufferers, helping to alleviate their condition.

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People who suffer from cystic fibrosis have a defect in the gene which is responsible for transporting salts and water around the body. It causes a sticky build-up of mucus in the lungs, making breathing difficult. It can also cause pancreatic problems which can affect digestion.

The spray works by coating the surface of sufferers' airways with a thin, lubricating layer of water which the sufferers lack.

The scientists developed the spray from findings which suggested that hypertonic saline helps clear mucus from the lungs and hydrates airways, helping with breathing.

In trials patients with stable cystic fibrosis, who were at least six years old, were randomly assigned regular inhalations of hypertonic saline (twice as salty as the Atlantic Ocean) or normal saline twice daily for 48 weeks.

It was found that volunteers who inhaled the hypertonic saline experienced fewer lung problems, required less antibiotics to treat lung infections and improved attendance at school, work and other activities.

Dr Scott H Donaldson, one of the study's authors, said: "We are very excited that this simple and inexpensive therapy turned out to be so effective and well-tolerated in patients with cystic fibrosis.

"It is especially gratifying to see patients in our own clinical practice embrace and benefit from it.

"These results could change how physicians elsewhere care for patients with cystic fibrosis.

"As we look at the combined results of our study and those of our Australian colleagues, it gives us great hope that use of this therapy will reduce how often patients feel ill, will slow the decline of lung function over time and will help these people live longer."

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